Do you BELIEVE? Raptor playoff push

Raptors are currently 17-30. It is a might big hole they are in regarding the playoffs. To get 40 wins and a reasonable shot at the playoffs, they can only lose 12 of their next 35 games (i.e. they have to go 23-12).

Here is the remaining schedule:

Sun, Feb 3 vs Miami

Wed, Feb 6 vs Boston

Fri, Feb 8 @ Indiana

Sun, Feb 10 vs New Orleans

Tue, Feb 12 vs Denver

Wed, Feb 13 @NY Knicks

Tues, Feb 19 @Washington

Wed, Feb 20 vs Memphis

Fri, Feb 22 vs NY Knicks

Mon, Feb 25 vs Washington

Wed, Feb 27 @ Cleveland

Fri, Mar 1 vs Indiana

Sat, Mar 2 @ Milwaukee

Mon, Mar 4 @ Golden State

Wed, Mar 6 @ Phoenix

Fri, Mar 8 @ Los Angeles

Sun, Mar 10 vs Cleveland

Wed, Mar 13 @ Boston

Fri, Mar 15 vs Charlotte

Sun, Mar 17 vs Miami

Wed, Mar 20 @ Charlotte

Fri, Mar 22 vs NY Knicks

Sat, Mar 23 @ NY Knicks

Wed, Mar 27 vs Atlanta

Fri, Mar 29 @ Detroit

Sun, Mar 31 @ Washington

Mon, Apr 1 vs Detroit

Wed, Apr 3 vs Washington

Fri, Apr 5 @ Minnesota

Sat, Apr 6 @ Milwaukee

Tue, Apr 9 @ Chicago

Fri, Apr 12 vs Chicago

Sun, Apr 14 vs Brooklyn

Tue, Apr 16 @ Atlanta

Wed, Apr 17 vs Boston

Schedule Breakdown

Total games: 35

Home games: 17

Road games: 18

games vs. East: 28

Games vs. West: 7

Games vs. opp over .500: 21

Games vs. opp under .500: 14

Games vs. teams currently in 6-7-8-9-10:

Atlanta - 2

Milwaukee - 2

Boston - 3

Philadelphia - 0

Detroit - 2

Coulda/shoulda/woulda time: All I keep thinking about is the blown games vs. Milwaukee and Philly and the 4 "ref" games.

So with the schedule breakdown, what do you think Raptors playoff odds are?

tho last night was hope for optimism its still a ridiculous hill to climb and its not like the schedule is super easy.. would like to have seen a couple more games before answering this poll but despite last nights game im still sitting somewhere between 15-85 and 30-70... I voted 30-70 tho.. that could change if the next couple games continue to boost optimism

The team needs one win decently sized win streak, and then over .500 ball the rest of the way. It just does not look like it is going to happen. I say 15-85. We should see some exciting ball though, and you never know what can happen when and if a team gets hot.

Those 4 ref games might just go down in infamy if the team gets close.

I said 40/60, and to me that's an optimistic projection. Last week I would have said less than 15%. But between the Rondo injury and the Gay trade, there's definitely a window. If Boston gets to 40 wins, I think they're in. But it wouldn't shock me to see them and Toronto converging at around 37 wins at the end of the season. 20-15 is, I think, an optimistic but not outlandish expectation for the remainder of the season, if they gel quickly.

I think it's highly unlikely considering the schedule we have left but I would love it if we played last game of the season against Boston for the eighth seed.

FoxMachine wrote:

+100000

much like we did with Chicago when bosh was here.. hope we win this time if that's the case

I hope it plays out like this. Even if the Raps lose the final game, games will at least be meaningful in March and April for the first time in a long time. That final game will be a playoff like atmosphere as well.

I certainly think this team has the tools to, because I'm expecting over time, the Celtics and Atlanta in the picture start to wear out (No Rondo, no Sullinger, trade rumours) & (trade rumours, no Lou Williams).

If trying to - at the very least - get to 37-39 wins, than this team should have a chance to make the playoffs. Philly chasing hard and under .500, same with Detroit, and Milwaukee, Atlanta, Boston may be under .500 through the course of the second half.

drives me crazy knowing we dropped all those recent games.. those 3OT games... irving's dagger up our ass, collapse in philly.. a handful of those games would raised our chances considerably, but now its a huge hole where we gotta roll out a couple 6 or 7 games winning streaks to get us back in.. and of course beating Miami is the start of it..

anyone recall that year when VC went down and Antonio Davis put the team on his back to win the last 12/15 games to get in.. that was a phenomenal ride.. i remember it.. i hope to relive it again this year

I'll be very surprised if they make the play-offs. The hole they've dug is just too deep. In a way however, I think management is hoping(and maybe fans should be as well) that they just miss the play-offs so their 1st rounder (which now belongs to OKC and seemingly is a late lottery pick), gets used this year. Besides this being a draft lacking star quality would be the draft they'd prefer to miss.